Guitarist | Composer

EDUCATION

“Anthony is a uniquely gifted teacher in being able to inspire by example in multiple ways: technique, musicianship, and (most-impressively) compositional ideas. Seeing him respond to student compositions with musical ideas improvised in real time is a rare gift, one that I have only previously seen with the likes of Leo Brouwer or Stepan Rak. His criticisms were always spot-on, yet delivered with characteristic personal warmth. Everyone who sees Anthony teach knows that they have witnessed something special.”

Jonathan Paget, Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (Perth)

GUITAR WORKSHOPS & COURSES

GUITAR ALCHEMY

Interactive Workshops, Courses & Teacher Training

Explore the magical world of the guitar and learn to play guitar with Anthony Garcia through a range of fun and interactive workshops for players of all ages, stages and styles. Guitar Alchemy will expand your horizons musically and culturally as renowned guitarist/composer Anthony Garcia takes participants around the globe experimenting with a range of approaches to guitar playing. From folk and Latin styles to pop, rock, jazz, classical and beyond, these workshops will help players develop fundamental techniques, chord playing as well as theoretical concepts, improvisation, group collaboration and performance techniques.

A spectrum of workshops are designed to help you learn to play guitar and cater for a range of skill levels; from absolute beginners to dedicated advanced players and teachers:

ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS

Some of the most inspiring teaching takes place at the very beginning of a student’s musical life. Beginner workshops require no experience or prior knowledge of any kind. Here students are introduced to the fundamental of technique, sitting position, basic strumming and plucking, melody playing, percussion techniques and aural studies to learn to play the guitar. These workshops make ideal startup courses for organizations and institutions keen to develop new guitar programs. (See ‘Schools Programs’ below for information on guitars, equipment and materials)

MIXED LEVEL INTERMEDIATES

Integrating teaching strategies for mixed level participants is one of the great challenges in music education. The strategies employed in this particular level have evolved from years of research and experimentation. The result is an insightful and educative workshop where participants are encouraged to extend themselves in a collaborative and supportive ways.

Requirements: Some understanding of how to play simple materials (i.e. chords, riffs and melodies)

MULTI-STYLE ADVANCED PLAYERS/TEACHERS

Advanced guitar workshops sometime intimidate players of a higher levels who are not sure where they stand in the scheme of levels and practices. Often a classical player may be a wiz at sight-reading and performing complex repertoire but has little experience with improvisation or composition. Conversely, many contemporary players have in depth knowledge of improvisational practice yet have limited reading skill or awareness of dynamic layering. These workshops aim to deconstruct the core elements of guitar playing, offering simple solutions to technical dilemmas, creative blocks and learning gaps.

Requirements: Ability to play scales, more complex riffs, chord progressions, songs or repertoire and an working comprehension of either traditional notation or tablature.

TERTIARY LEVEL WORKSHOPS & MASTER CLASSES

Tertiary level workshops and master classes aim to challenge and stimulate students to develop a personal voice through their music-making, take risks, challenge paradigms and experiment with processes outside the ordinary realm of practices. The workshops are linked to new research in the field of performance practice, improvisation and composition and encourage broader experimentation, improvisational collaboration and extended technique development.

Requirements: students must be currently enrolled or have graduated from a tertiary music degree.

SCHOOLS PROGRAM

Workshops designed to help schools develop broad guitar-based learning programs or enhance existing programs. This program offers advice and direction across a range of fields including:

The ethos underpinning these workshops comes from a desire to encourage an open minded and creative approach to making music that fosters an appreciation for the beauty and diversity of classical music, the emotion and passion of folk guitar styles and the freedom that comes through improvisation, experimentation and composition. Workshops endeavour to promote the interconnected nature of different genres and styles and encourage students and teachers to be open to new and different ways of learning, creating and teaching music together.

Research into multi-instrumental collaboration, composition and performance practice has seen the evolution of new learning strategies and teaching approaches. The Sounds Across Oceans workshop series explores these new modes of instruction by placing the teacher among the students as co-collaborator and mentor. These workshops allow participants to shape content through the incorporation of diverse materials from their own social and cultural background. Cultural relevancy, shared learning and co-creation are all fundamental aspects of the Sounds Across Oceans journey as all players are encouraged to offer ideas and perspectives on the creation of a new body of work that is presented at the end of workshops.

The first Sounds Across Oceans workshop was held at Khon Kaen University in Thailand in 2013. This project brought traditional Thai folk and Thai classical music students together with Western classical and contemporary students for a two-week intercultural improvisation and composition workshop. The workshops culminated in a performance for the local community. A short documentary sharing the journey can be viewed here: Sounds Across Oceans Thailand

To engage Anthony Garcia as a artist/teacher please contact enquiries(at)anthonygarcia.com.au

TESTIMONIALS

“Anthony is a uniquely gifted teacher in being able to inspire by example in multiple ways: technique, musicianship, and (most-impressively) compositional ideas. Seeing him respond to student compositions with musical ideas improvised in real time is a rare gift, one that I have only previously seen with the likes of Leo Brouwer or Stepan Rak. His criticisms were always spot-on, yet delivered with characteristic personal warmth. Everyone who sees Anthony teach knows that they have witnessed something special.” Jonathan Paget, Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (Perth)

“I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist. Having Anthony Lamont Garcia as my guitar professor and mentor helped be to find that passion for my instrument, gave me the tools to continue with my career and most importantly, gave me the deeply touching perspective of being an artist and not just a guitarist, to apply the philosophy of life in my playing.” Francisco Mendez Diego former Student Merida, Mexico – Classical Guitarist (Vienna)